And Then There Were Two

We just spent a few lovely days in Redwood National/State Parks. Why the confusion in title? The Redwoods started as a few scattered plots of land that eventually became different state parks, and finally some of the surrounding areas were filled in with national park. This made it a very different experience from the other parks we've visited, but we enjoyed it all the same.

We arrived late, so we set up the tent in the dark. After all the practice we've had, this was not hard. We spent the next day driving around from various view points, nature trails, and ocean vistas. It was very foggy, so most of what we saw of the ocean was from on the beach itself. Oh how we love the ocean!

The redwood trees are fairly similar to sequoias, so we had fun walking through the groves of giants, and comparing. In our very scientific opinions, we like the tops of redwoods, and the trunks of sequoias. No matter which tall trees you are surrounded by, it is very peaceful to walk through these old growth forests, watching rays of sunlight filter through, hitting ferns and moss and the occasional flower. Lovely.

The most awesome part of the Redwoods was a walk through Fern Canyon. Our guide book said Fern Canyon was worth seeing, but didn't explain much, so we were a little dubious on the drive there. It was the end of the day, and Fern Canyon was at the end of 8 miles of very dusty dirt road. And as we discovered, you also had to ford two streams by car. Oregon Trail anyone? We finally made it, and it was amazing! You know me - I love ferns, ivy, green walls, water, etc, so this was paradise. Fern Canyon was exactly like it sounds; the path literally goes up a creek, through a valley with vertical walls, every inch of wall covered in ferns. The path is marked by the occasional boardwalk to help visitors cross the deepest parts of the creek. It was quiet and still, interrupted only by the trickling of the brook and the drips from tiny waterfalls along the walls. I'm not making this up, it was wonderful!

We spent a couple of lovely hours reading and enjoying Dutch Bros Almond Joys, watching waves crash at the beach, and a lighthouse fade in and out of the fog. Sigh.

(If it wasn't so foggy, this would be a beautiful view of the ocean!)

Today we hit the road early, to arrive in Redding, California, home of Lake Shasta, by noonish. Lauren begins work with Sonshine Ministries tonight, which means that we have to leave her here. It will be weird to not have Lauren with us, but she's super excited about working on a house boat for the rest of the summer. I know, life is rough. We did laundry, and Em and I will soon hit the road, to be in Crater Lake, Oregon, by this evening.